François Provost, a new managing director rather discreet responsible for continuing the “Renault’sions”

François Provost was appointed, Wednesday, July 30, general manager of Renault by the board of directors. He succeeds Luca de Méo, who left for the luxury group Kering.

He was not really an internal favorite, however François Provost was appointed Wednesday July 30, managing director of Renault by the board of directors. He succeeds the emblematic Luca de Méo, whose recent departure for the luxury group Kering, created the surprise. Close to the latter, François Provost could represent a form of change in continuity for Renault.

In any case, he seems to have received the support of Luca de Méo, while the corridor noises mentioned a promotion of the current Dacia leader, Denis Le Vot, or the arrival of Maxime Picat, former Peugeot, just left of Stellantis.

With a profile considered to be quite discreet, François Provost nevertheless displays a long experience within the group, in which he entered in 2002, but where he especially held posts abroad, in South Korea, Portugal, Russia or even in China, before being called to the central management in Boulogne-Billancourt at the end of 2020, by Luca Dé Méo.

Responsible for partnerships and then purchases and public affairs, he assisted this one in his ambitious plan baptized “Renault’sions”, consisting in particular in launching no less than 22 new models in three years and improving margins, by reducing production and manufacturing costs.

François Provost had recently appeared on the front line in the media battle with the CGT and the management of the Brittany Foundry, a former subsidiary of Renault, threatened with closing before being finally taken over in April by the Europlasma group.

Since then, the “Renaulution” appears rather successful and not only because Renault has won the last two car trophies of the year with the Scenic E-Tech then the R5. The group displays in its set of commercial results which contrast, for example, with those of Stellantis and several German competitors, much more exposed to the Chinese and American market. He can even boast of world sales up during the first half.

But Renault still had to review its 2025 financial prospects just two weeks ago, hence a sanction on the stock market and a strong decline in the course of action. François Provost will therefore still have to improve Renault’s profitability. But above all arise the question of the future of the alliance with Nissan, with whom the links seem more than distended and whose poor results lead to a loss of 127 million euros in the second quarter for its French partner.

He will also have to imagine the launching of new models, after the Twingo expected next year. All this, without some of the important lieutenants of Luca de Méo, including designer Gilles Vidal, father of the R5 and the Renault 4, who will join Stellantis.